In the Lap of the Buddha [Paperback]

Gavin Harrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 1994

In this book a teacher of insight meditation offers personal testament, healing words, and wise instruction to help meet the suffering that comes with catastrophic life events. Speaking openly about his own struggles with memories of childhood sexual abuse and with the HIV diagnosis he received in 1989, Gavin Harrison reveals how compassion offers refuge and help for all who suffer from similar crises of body, heart, and spirit. Among the topics covered are:

   •  Dealing with fear, anger, and self-hatred
   •  Working with difficult relationships
   •  Confronting physical pain and the fear of death
   •  Transforming the legacy of sexual abuse
   •  The question of karma and "Why me?"
   •  Grappling with issues of faith, freedom, hope, and miracles
   •  Basic insight meditation instructions, plus guided meditations for forgiveness, compassion, and equanimity

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With its emphasis on emptiness and detachment, Buddhism's path sometimes seems an esoteric, disengaged, distant trek removed from the realities of life in the emotionally, physically, culturally crowded world. White South African Gavin Harrison's loving manual, however, casts light on the application of meditation to real-life conditions like HIV and AIDS, memories of childhood sexual abuse and the less dire fear and pain of daily life. The heartfelt prose rings true, as do the parallels between the lives of contemporary Americans and the life of Siddartha Gautauma; and Harrision's life itself, here documented, convincingly makes the case that Buddhist meditation practices are not a path away from life but rather a road into and through it.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this courageous and articulate personal testimony, a gay man uses Buddhist insight meditation to deal with the suffering he has experienced from child abuse and from being HIV positive. He describes how he has been able to open himself to the suffering as he follows the five Buddhist precepts of refraining from harming, stealing, using false speech, engaging in sexual misconduct, and using intoxicants. Many subsections within the six chapters begin with accounts of the Buddha's life and teachings taken from Buddhist scriptures. These are followed by Harrison's reflections on how we deal-usually ineffectively-with suffering. Instructions are also given on the way Buddhist meditation practice is done. This is a powerful presentation by an effective writer who uses Buddhist teaching and meditative practice to effect a triumph of the human spirit. Highly recommended for libraries whose patrons need books to help them cope with the universal experience of human suffering.
David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; 1st edition (August 16, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877739951
• ISBN-13: 978-0877739951
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,099,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Book that Looks at Suffering With Courage, July 23, 2001

By 

Jennifer Smith (California, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Lap of the Buddha (Paperback)

Mr. Harrison, a South African gay man with AIDS, has written a book that is a primer for Insight Meditation. Although the theme of the book is how to live with pain and suffering (whether medical or mental or social), anyone with an interest in the teaching of the Buddha and instructions on meditation would find this helpful. At the end of thr book the author goes through the "precepts" of Buddhism, such as non-harming, no stealing, no intoxicants. He lists them and then uses stories to show how they work in the everyday world. Mr Harrison's greatest gift in this book, I feel, is that he shows how those who are in the midst of suffering can turn their attention from themselves to others and open their heart to a compassion that may have otherwise gone undiscovered. He deals with the fear of death and anger as well, giving meditational insights into each problem. I gave the book 4 stars only because the writing can be a bit plodding and feels sort of dull after a bit.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Touching but gets boring, May 11, 2000

By 

MICHA ROTSTEIN - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Lap of the Buddha (Paperback)

This book has two sides:

on one side it is a touching and impressive story of the writer's difficult life (from child abuse to AIDS) and the way meditation helps him.

On the other side it is a meditation/Buddhism guide, starting brilliantly - comparing the Buddha's life story to every person's personal struggle for liberation but then gets repetitive/boring to the point where i simply couldn't read any longer.

Had the writer focused more on his personal struggle this could have been an excellent book as there are many gems hidden in it's pages, too bad they are too far scattered.